Eminent Artists the American Brass Quintet to Perform at UW

October 29, 2013 — One of the world’s leading chamber ensembles, the American
Brass Quintet, will perform Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1-2, at 7:30 p.m. in the
University of Wyoming Buchanan Center for Performing Arts concert hall. Tickets
cost $15 for the public and $8 for senior citizens and students.

The American
Bass Quintet (ABQ) was recently named this year’s recipient of Chamber
Music America’s highest honor, the Richard J. Bogomolny National Service Award
for significant and lasting contribution to the field. Performing since 1960, the group has been named
"the high priests of brass" by Newsweek, "positively
breathtaking" by the New York Times, and "of all the brass quintets,
the most distinguished" by the American Record Guide.

“The ABQ is the premier brass chamber group,” says Scott
Meredith, UW assistant professor of trumpet. “The players in the group are the
absolute top players in the world, and it will be a stunning experience to see
and hear these individuals mingling and working with our talented
students.”

The quintet’s members are Raymond Mase and Kevin
Cobb, trumpet; David Wakefield, horn; Michael Powell, trombone; and John
D. Rojak; bass trombone. The group has been in residence at The Julliard
School since 1987.

“When I think of
the ABQ ‘sound,’ words and ideas like elegance, fluency, technical perfection
and artistic communication come to mind,” said Joseph W. Polishi, Julliard
president. “Whether performing the music of Gabrieli and his 17th-century
Venetian contemporaries or his world premieres of works by composers of our
day, the ABQ consistently brings new life to all they address.”

The ABQ has
performed a discography of more than 55 recordings and has premiered more than 150
contemporary brass works in Europe, Central and South America, the Middle East,
Asia, Australia and all 50 states.

For more
information about the event, call (307) 766-5242 or email musicdpt@uwyo.edu.

Photo:“The high priests of brass,” the American Brass Quintet,
perform Friday and Saturday at the University of Wyoming. (ABQ Photo)